


Kindred Spirits

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Apologies, Christmas, Christmas Party, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, UNIT, UNIT Christmas Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 21:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13086000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: When the Doctor refuses Jo's invitation to come to the UNIT Christmas party, the Brigadier decides it's time to intervene.





	Kindred Spirits

            Jo Grant gently tapped her knuckles against the cool metal of the laboratory door. She waited a moment, but heard no reply from within. Hoping that the Doctor wouldn’t think it impertinent, she opened the door enough for her to stick her head in and saw that the Doctor was occupied working on some sort of equipment. He seemed so engrossed in his project that he didn’t even notice her presence, and she doubted he had heard her knock.

            “Hello, Doctor!” Jo said with a smile as she stepped into the lab.

            The Doctor paused to cast a quick glance in her direction. “Hello, Miss Grant,” he muttered, becoming absorbed in his work again.

            She walked closer to him, hoping that it would make him pay attention. “I came to tell you that the party’s starting downstairs.”

            “Party?” The Doctor met her eyes now, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What party?”  
            He was so peculiar, the way he forgot things so easily; anything that didn’t have to do with his TARDIS, it seemed. “I told you earlier, Doctor, the Christmas party! Surely you’ve been to it before?”

            The Doctor turned back to his equipment and shook his head. “I’ve never been on Earth for Christmas.”

            “You’ve never had Christmas?” Jo exclaimed, jumping forward and grabbing the Doctor’s arm. “Then you _must_ come! There’s food and cookies, singing and dancing, presents…”

            The Doctor’s muscles tensed under her touch. He put down the metal tube he had been handling and paused a moment before lifting his head to look into her eyes. His lips formed a tight smile and the kindness on his face seemed forced. “Thank you for telling me, my dear, but I think I’m better off up here with my work. No one will miss me.”

            Jo felt a dejected pang as she realised he was basically telling her to go away. “Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll leave you to it.” She released him and took a step back. “Goodnight, Doctor.”

            “Goodnight, Miss Grant.” He turned right back to his work, seemingly unaffected by the entire conversation.

            Jo frowned at him, though he didn’t see it, and turned to walk out of the lab. When she had come to work for UNIT, she had heard stories of how magnificent the Doctor was. When the Brigadier had assigned her to him, she had felt privileged and honoured. Now, however, she knew she wasn’t wanted. The Doctor had hoped for someone who could help him with fixing his machine, not someone like her. The Brigadier had chosen wrong.

            “Well?” the Brigadier shook her from her reverie and she realised she had automatically walked back down to the party without even thinking about it.

            “He’s not coming,” Jo sighed. “I tried, but he just wouldn’t hear it. He’s never even had a Christmas before!”

            “Hm…” The Brigadier frowned, looking into Jo’s eyes. Finally he glanced over at the door. “Maybe I should go speak to him.”

            “Well good luck. He didn’t seem to want to speak to anybody. He’s too busy working on that complicated equipment of his.”

            “He’ll listen to me, Miss Grant. I’ll be right back.”

            Jo watched him walk away, shaking her head.

* * *

 

            “Good evening, Doctor,” the Brigadier said as he strolled into the lab and closed the door behind him.

            “Lethbridge-Stewart,” the Doctor said, setting down his equipment and offering a pleasant smile. “I didn’t expect to see you. Don’t you have a party to attend?”

            “It’s just that, Doctor.” He raised an eyebrow at his old friend. “Miss Grant told me that you don’t intend to come. She seemed quite put out by it.”

            The Doctor shook his head. “My time is better spent here. Why do you care, anyway? I thought you would be glad to have me far away from your celebrations.”

            “It is Christmas, Doctor, and while you may not be human, this is a time when we all have something to celebrate.” The Brigadier paused, knowing that the Doctor was going to like this least of all. “And I am concerned about the way you’re treating Miss Grant.”

            The Doctor’s expression hardened. “What do you mean?”

            The Brigadier stepped towards him, clasping his hands behind his back. “I hired her Doctor, and I hired her just for you. I knew she didn’t have the brains Miss Shaw had, but I saw something else in her: a heart like yours.”

            Suddenly the Doctor’s face slackened.

            “A heart that, whether you like to admit it or not, needs a companion.”

            “Lethbridge-Stewart,” the Doctor warned with an edge in his voice and fire in his eyes.

            “That is all, Doctor.” And with that he walked away, smiling to himself as soon as his back was turned.

* * *

 

            The Doctor’s anger slowly dissipated as he watched the Brigadier leave. He looked down at the TARDIS parts he had been fiddling with, but for some reason he no longer had the heart to keep working. Jo Grant’s face came to mind and he remembered how she had looked so crestfallen when he had refused to come to the party.

            Though he didn’t want to admit it, the Brigadier was right. About everything.

            With a long sigh the Doctor stood up and smoothed the creases from his coat. It was time to go to a party.

            He made his way downstairs to the canteen, dreading the idea of talking to all of the UNIT soldiers and, even worse, apologising to Miss Grant. Yet he proudly strode through the canteen doors and was greeted with the sight of cheap and flashy decorations hung up on every available space. Soldiers, secretaries, and other UNIT employees strolled about in casual clothing, some even dancing to the cheery Christmas tunes playing.

            The Doctor scanned the room and soon locked eyes with Jo, who was standing next to the Brigadier. She beamed at him and the Doctor chuckled at her enthusiasm. The Brigadier noticed him too and nodded his head, the shadow of a smile on his face, before walking away from Jo. The Doctor cleared his throat as he made his way towards her, still unsure of what to say.

            “Miss Grant…” the Doctor began as he reached Jo. He absently rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down at the floor before meeting her eyes. “I’m afraid I haven’t been very fair to you.”

            Her smile was unwavering. “I don’t mind that you didn’t want to come to the Christmas party, Doctor.”

            “Yes, but it’s more than that.” The Doctor frowned, trying to piece together words that would comfort rather than cause further humiliation. “When the Brigadier found me a new assistant, I was expecting someone like Miss Shaw.”

            “A scientist,” Jo said.

            “Yes. And while you’re not who I was expecting…” _A heart like yours,_ the Brigadier had said. Yes, the Brigadier had possessed the insight to see something that the Doctor was only just discovering. “…you’ve already helped me a great deal and I know you’ll continue to be a wonderful assistant.”

            It seemed like he had said the right thing, because Jo grinned, her eyes bright and enthusiastic. “I’ll do my best, Doctor. I promise I won’t let you down.”

            He smiled fondly at her. “I’m sure you won’t.” And now, he truly believed it.

            The music grew louder and some soldiers laughed boisterously in one corner of the canteen. Jo looked over at them and then turned her gaze back to the Doctor. “Are you sure about this?”

            “Well, I might as well participate in some Earth customs while I’m stuck here,” he said with a chuckle. He took Jo’s hand and pressed it gently. “Merry Christmas, Jo.”

            “Merry Christmas, Doctor.”

            And right then, the Doctor could feel time shifting around him. Pivotal events began to shape and change the future, and he found it hard to believe that it was all because of this girl who had been thrust upon him. He had been wrong, after all. It seemed that Jo Grant was going to become one of the most important humans he had ever met.


End file.
